Travelport Prices IPO and Seeks to Raise $480 Million

Sabre couldn’t get the pricing it wanted in its debut and now we’ll get a chance to see if Travelport does any better.

— Dennis Schaal

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UK-headquartered Travelport, the global distribution system and travel technology company, chose September 11 to begin its initial public offering, pricing it in the $14 to $16 per share range.

Travelport, seeking to go public after an aborted attempt to do so in 2010, hopes to raise up to $480 million to pay down debt and other liabilities. The IPO values the company at up to $1.9 billion.

Although Blackstone and Technology Crossover Ventures acquired Travelport in 2006, and One Equity Partners also bought a piece that year, Travelport recently refinanced and Blackstone currently owns only 9.5% of Travelport, and would own 7.2% after the IPO.

The largest owners of Travelport’s common stock are Angelo, Gordon and Co., and Q Investments, which would own 12.7% and 8%, respectively, after the IPO.

Travelport would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol TVPT.

Once Travelport starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange, all three major global distribution systems would be public companies. Sabre raised $627 million in its IPO on April 17.